Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit, the world’s top two makers of luxury cars, are considering building a joint transmission plant in the US, expanding on their cooperation in purchasing.
“A transmission factory is a potential project that could be taken into consideration,” said Marc Binder, a spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Cars in Stuttgart, Germany. “There’s no timeframe for a decision,” he added, confirming Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche’s comments in an interview published by Sueddeutsche Zeitung today.
The two manufacturers cooperate on buying components such as air conditioning systems and window motors. Herbert Diess, BMW’s purchasing chief, said on March 18 that the number of common parts was in the “double-digit” range and that joint buying has yielded savings of as much as 15 percent.
Marc Hassinger, a spokesman at BMW’s headquarters in Munich, said talks on potential cooperation projects with Mercedes were ongoing and specifics would be discussed only after decisions have been made.